Desperate for Company-parts one and two
by Aspirin
Summary: Caramon and Tas go for a walk, but end up try to walk out of danger... please R&R!!
1. Default Chapter Title

Desperate for Company- Part one  
  
As Tasslehoff Burrfoot and Caramon Majere walked through a wooded path; they came to a large clearing. Well, not a clearing really, maybe just a small meadow. As Tas looked across the field, he saw what appeared to be a campsite for a large group on the move.   
  
"Wow! Hey Caramon, lets go say hi to those people. They might need help cleaning up!" said Tas in his all-but-innocent-voice.   
  
"I don't know Tas. We don't really know who they are. Besides, the last time we went to go supposedly say hi, I ended up explaining why you had five pouches full of jewelry." Said Caramon.   
  
"I was rescuing it! She could have lost it you know!" responded Tas indignantly.   
  
"In your pouches?" asked Caramon. Tas continues to stick to his argument that he was intending to give it back all along; he had just forgotten that he had it in his pouches.   
  
"Puh-leeeas Caramon? Can we please go and say hi? Besides, I'm hungry, and if I'm hungry, I know you have to be hungry." Begged Tas.   
  
"Well... you do have a point about being hungry. I guess we can go for just a while." Said Caramon. Tas began to spin his hoopak-staff in his excitement at being able to meet new people. As the duo crossed the field, the tantalizing aroma of a stew wafted to meet their noses. The smell was enough to make both of them stop and breath the scent I deeply before moving on.  
  
"Mmm!" said Tas. As they neared the camp, three large men emerged from behind a tent. Surprise and bewilderment flooded their faces as they asked,   
  
"Who are you?" Caramon answered hurriedly that they are but wandering travelers and were wandering over to the camp so as to find out what that delicious smell was. The men smiled, looks of relief replacing the looks of apprehension.   
  
"Of course! We shall invite you two to dinner," The head-man announced cheerfully, " My name is Corian and this is Taurin and Ganton." Corian whispered under his breath to Ganton that the kender would have to be tied up if they expected to keep their belongings. Caramon introduced them selves to the three men as well.   
  
"Caramon? The Caramon?" asked Taurin in excitement. All of a sudden, tons of men and women were flooding around Caramon, asking questions and favors of him.   
  
"Did you really slay a dragon...?", "Can I see your battle scars...?", and "Can you beat up my younger brother?" One of them (a woman, I hope) even had the nerve to ask if Caramon was single.   
"Well I, uh, well maybe yes, and... uh...um...well...JUST STOP FOR ONE MINUTE!" said Caramon in that famous roar of his. Caramon looked over at Tas, and noticed that he was eyeing the many pouches that the men and children carried around their waists. He walked over and grabbed Tas. Then he addressed the growing group of admirers.   
  
"First of all, I wasn't the only one in that war, this kender here was there too." said Caramon   
  
"Yeah, I'm the one who broke the dragon orb! Don't you guys remember?" chimed in Tas enthusiastically.   
  
"Anyway, second of all, no you may not see my battle scars, no, I am not single, and little boy, I'm sorry, but I will not beat up your brother for you." Said Caramon. The people began to murmur and glance over at Tas. Now that everyone was aware that there was a kinder in the camp, pouches and precious heirlooms were being closely guarded.   
  
They stopped though, when Caramon's stomach growled very loudly. Loud enough in fact to wake two babies from their sound sleep at their mothers' breast. It suddenly dawned on Corian that these two "wanderers" must be starved. After all, they did come over to investigate the smell of the stew.   
  
" Can we at least offer to feed you two?" asked Corian.   
  
"Well sure!" Said Caramon and Tas together.   
  
Corian called to a woman near by, "Mianna, will you get these two each a bowl of stew please?" As Mianna brought the stew, she eyed Caramon with lust in her eyes. She handed Tas his bowl without noticing him, but as she handed a bowl to Caramon, she winked suggestively and said with a voice as smooth as the skin on a deer, "I made it myself."   
  
Caramon was taken aback. This woman didn't belong here; she belonged in a huge city with a wealthy family and nice clothes. Carmon's thoughts wandered off into a land of lust and woman, but were interrupted by Mianna asking him if he was going to eat any of the stew. He looked around. Tas had already finished his bowl and was looking at Caramon oddly while asking if he could have seconds.   
  
Caramon finished the stew. As he ate, he was reminded of Tika and her home cooking. When his bowl was empty, he stood up and thanked the group for their hospitality and the dinner. As Caramon and Tas started to leave, they noticed that many of the camp dwellers were beginning to close in on them, forming a tight circle.   
  
"Well...look at the sun. Wouldn't want to worry my wife and kids now, would I? Better get home now!" said Caramon with a cracking voice.   
  
" Now, why are you in such a hurry Caramon? We would be honored if you would stay for... dessert." Said Corian in a low, rumbling voice.   
  
" No, really, we can't, can we Tas?" said Caramon.   
  
" Oh, Caramon, relax. It's just dessert. You your self said you wanted to sample more of their cooking while you were eating that stew." Tas said, looking at Caramon with a look of confusion. He added in an undertone, "We don't want to be rude, you know. You don't what they have hidden in those tents of theirs."   
  
Caramon glared at Tas, knowing he shouldn't have relied on the kinder to get his hint of wanting to leave. Caramon began to scheme, looking around at his surroundings. He realized that they had been lured into a trap. These probably weren't real humans; just renegade shape-shifters looking for human blood to suffice their own hunger. He looked over at Tas, who was eyeing the people too, but with a different plan on mind: How to get their stuff. Caramon knew that the kender wouldn't be much help unless he had a day or two to explain the danger that they were in.   
  
The group began to close in on them, there eyes full of hunger and want for fresh, human blood. " Don't worry. You wont feel a thing. Join our ranks, and riches will be yours. You can work for the greatest master of them all! The Dark Queen!" said the group.   
  
"As intriguing as that sounds, we're going to have to decline that offer. We already work for someone, and I'm sure he values us as employees." Said Caramon. The group closed in even tighter around Caramon and it seemed they would never get out of this dilemma...  



	2. desperate for company-part two

Desperate for Company- part two  
  
Caramon was getting nervous. The large group was closing in on him and Tas. Caramon got the odd feeling that some of the kender's curiosity was beginning to rub off on him. How could I have let ourselves get into this mess? He thought to himself.   
  
While his train of thought began to roll down memory lane, his one-and-only twin brother came to mind, Raistlen. Raistlen, always so pale and fragile looking, but looks can be deceiving.   
  
"I should know that, I learned the hard way." Caramon said to himself. Then it dawned on him. Raistlen was a dark-mage. If these ruffians knew that he, Caramon, was connected to the War of the Lance, then they must have some small idea that he was the brother of the famous Master of the Tower, Raistlen Majere. Maybe if he mentioned Raistlen, they would back off a little bit, possibly let him and Tas on their way without harm.   
  
Just as Caramon was about to put his idea into thoughtful words, Tas cut in, jumping up and down and pointing at something in the trees, "Oh, oh, Caramon! Look up in the trees!"   
  
Trees? What could trees possibly have to do with the grave danger they were in? After a few agonizingly slow seconds, it finally dawned on Caramon that there were Elvin archers in the trees and Tas had just happened to spot them with his sharp eyes.   
  
"Tanis? Are you up there?" asked Tas. Caramon rolled his eyes in light of the kender's disability to be discreet.   
  
All of a sudden, a storm of arrows be-felled six of the enemy's men. Gasps escaped from the women as the archers, again, let loose more arrows, injuring three and killing one. Once the terrorists had gotten the point to leave their hostages alone, Tanis and a few of his fellow Elvin archers jumped down from the trees, revealing themselves.   
  
" Hello Tanis! Over here! It's me, Tasslehoff!" squeaked the irrepressible kender.   
  
"Hello Tas." Returned Tanis with a hint of annoyance in his voice. After all, the kender had almost blown their cover. Luckily, the minions were slow thinkers and didn't grasp the concept of looking up in the tree where Tas was pointing.   
  
"Come on Caramon, let's go before they start up again." Caramon looked over at Tanis who was beckoning to him that it was time to go. As they left, the men were dragging the bodies of their companions over to a near-by grove. Others were getting out shovels and salts, to preserve the bodies for a proper burial.   
  
For no reason apparent to him, a sudden wave of emotions swept over Caramon, moving him in such a way that he had to stop and focus again before moving on with the rest of the group.   
  
"Caramon? Aren't you coming?" questioned Tanis.   
  
"Yeah, I'll be right there." Caramon. As the group left the forest, Caramon turned around for one last look at the clearing, but there was nothing there but a field and a small clearing. No camp, no people.   
  



End file.
